Fredtoast take on the O-line issue

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(03-06-2017, 03:35 PM)Benton Wrote: To the first point, having some flops along the way is true of any coach. Belichik will probably go down as a top 5 coach... but not every team he coached was great or even good. LeBeau will probably be considered a top 5 DC... but some of his defenses (and players) were pretty bad. I think when you judge a coach you've got to look at the body of work as opposed to extremes on both ends. And for the most part, I think Alexander has had some good lines over the years. Some better, some worse.

As far as the run game, agreed. But that's not all on the line. A big part of that is on OC's calling the same $@&% running plays, and on the backs making something out of the gap when there is one. And just overall mechanics of the position. Like the last playoff game. The fumble that had the biggest impact wasn't on the lie, it was on the back trying to get a couple more inches and "save the day." Truth is, he should've tucked and just burnt time.

They're the Pats. It's hard to compare anyone to the Pats. You can be ranked #1 and they'll still make you look like amateurs. In the modern era, no team has been better about exposing a team's weakness than the Pats. It's not even about personnel. They can plug anyone in hum along.

I get all of that, but I think you're misunderstanding my sentiment.  For years, I've heard all about how great Alexander is, and well respected around the league, yada, yada, yada.  Yet, he seems to need top notch talent to have even decent lines, and has as difficult a time as any average coach would coaching up fringe talent.  If he's so great, I don't understand why a team like the Patriots haven't come after him, or he hasn't been promoted.  He's an average coach, that is starting to show some antiquity in his methods.....not this guru as he's been portrayed by some.  If that were the case, his services would have been in a MUCH bigger demand over a quarter century....just my thoughts.  

Without a FB, the run game has struggled for the better part of a decade.  That's with 4 OCs (2 of which are HCs now), a host of RBs, and a couple of re-shuffles on the line.  When he had good, mostly high draft picks back in 05-07, we could run a little, and Palmer had time.  From 08-10, Palmer got pummeled, and we couldn't run the ball without unbalanced sets.  The same thing is happening to Dalton's line, what saves him is mobility and quick release, things Palmer wasn't known for. I honestly feel Andy has helped mask their shortcomings in pass pro, and they still aren't worth a plug nickel in run blocking.  He's probably not the worst o line coach in the league, but he certainly isn't the best, let alone some sort of mystic in offensive trench play.